Building construction



Sept. 10, 1935. H. G. ONSTAD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 10, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet l n. I l' Sept. 10, 1935. H. G. ONSTAD 2,013,697

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Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITE STATES T OFlE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION tion of Illinois Application December 10, 1932, Serial No. 646,578

19 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in building construction and has for one object to provide a new and improved. form of metallic building construction which will be simple to build, cheap, light, durable, require a minimum of maintenance and which may be used in a large number of different circumstances.

I have illustrated my invention primarily as adapted to roof structures though as in some circumstances it may be used as hereinafter described for flooring, siding and the like.

In general, my invention contemplates first the erection of a suitable supporting structure or framework, then mounting thereon a continuous relatively narrow sheet of, metal, attaching it at each end to the structure and allowing it to hang between the points of attachment in a normal, natural curve supporting its own weight in tension without the interposition or addition of any supporting or stifiening members so that when dealing with a roof all the roof elements are in tension, none of them are in compression and the roof is entirely a suspension member wherein the roofing, closing material itself also serves as its own supporting means in tension. These separate strips of metal laid side by side are afterwards fastened together to make a continuous structure, provision, of course, being made to take care of lateral expansion and contraction but longitudinal expansion and contraction of the separate sheets in a direction perpendicular to the upper and lower boundry lines of. the roof will be taken care of by slight change in the curve of the material in tension.

This scheme may be applied to a single roof sheet supported at top and bottom only or to a panel roof wherein a plurality of. roof sheets are supported at top and bottom, there being a plurality of separate panels between the uppermost and lowermost portion of the roof. It may also be applied to flooring in which case the separate tension bearing sheets will hang on a curve and filling means may be used to compensate for the curve so as to give a fiat floor. Or the same scheme may be applied to sheathing walls where the walls will be attached to the structure at top and bottom only hanging by its own weight and own strength.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of a part of the 5 roof;

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of one of the filler plates interposed between the roof and the structure forming the house;

Figure 7 is a section along the line l-! of Fig- 10 ure 6;

Figure 8 is a section on an enlarged scale along the line 88 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a detail of one assembled roof strip;

Figure 10 is a section through a modified form 15 of structure;

Figure 11 is a plan view of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a section along the line lZ-IZ of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a section along the line lS-l3 of Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic vertical section showing a modified form of structure;

Figure 15 is a diagrammatic section showing 25 a still further modified form of structure embodying my invention.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

My invention for the purpose of convenience is 30 illustrated as applied to a grain elevator, that being a type of structure to which it is especially well adapted but it will be understood, of course, that the invention might be used in connection with many different types of structure. As applied to the grain elevator, we have a series of concrete bins or silos A A A tied together or built together in a unitary structure in any suitable manner. In this instance, the bins A A form the ends of the house, the bins A form one 40 side, thus bounding three sides of a relatively large rectangular area which may be used as a working space or a storage space in the interior of the house. Along the open side is a relatively narrow structure A which may be used as a working space or for a conveyor or for any other suitable purpose. It comprises in general diagonal columns A outer wall columns A roof beams A and diagonal tension taking studs A extending from the tops of the column A to an 50 anchor-age A which for the purpose of convenience is located beneath the lower ends of the column A This structure is provided with the usual kind of roof A and side walls or sheathing A the device shown in shown in Figure 1 has been made.

This roof A along its upper inner edge, immediately adjacent the junction points of the columns A and tension members A is provided with a concrete or other suitable reinforcing anchorage ledge B having reinforcing bars B associated with an angle iron B on the rear side of the anchorage ledge and extending throughout the whole length of the structure. The upper face of the member B is flat and upwardly and inwardly inclined as at B The upper flange of the angle B is apertured along its entire length as at B Referring now tothe upper part of the structure, the silos or bins carry at their top a horizontal concrete roof slab C which projects out between adjacent bins to be substantially tangent to the outer extremity of each bin. This roof is reinforced as at C the reinforcement tying in to the circular walls of the bin. Bars C are embedded in the roof and extend out to the angle plate C the lower flange of the angle plate being downwardly inclined to the lower structure A above referred to. The part of the roof slab immediately above this angle plate is filled with any suitable packing or insulating material as at C The flange C of the angle plate is perforated along its entire length.

The roof pro-per is formed of a series of steel strips D. These separate steel strips are preferably preformed in any suitable templet by welding or riveting from separate short strips as at D although of course, under some circumstances the whole strip might be shaped from the material cut to proper length. In my preferred exemplification, however, the separate strip elements are butt welded as at D one strip being lap welded as at D for the purpose of convenience so as to make it unnecessary to cut the strips accurately in the field to fit the templet. The assembled strip is provided at each end with a welded reinforcing plate D D which plate is spaced slightly inwardly from the end of the strip. 'Holes D are punched or drilled through the strip and through the plate and holes D are punched or drilled at the end beyond the reinforcing strip. The structure is erected by preparing or placing the prepared roof: strip in position on the ground in line with the position it is to occupy on the roof. It is then moved into position on the roof with the holes I) in the reinforcing plate D in line with the holes in the flange C and with the holes D in the reinforcing plate D in line with the holes B in the angle flange B The bolts D having previously been. placed in the '1 flange C will be caused to pass through the holes in the plate D and the bolts D can-also be placed through the holes D in the reinforcing plate D and also in the flange B When these bolts are tightened up the plate may be welded or riveted or bolts or rivets alone may be used to rigidly fasten the upper and lower end of each strip to its-anchorage at top and bottom of the structure. The structure is completed by placing strip after strip side by side until a structure such as is The two ends of each strip being rigidly fastened to the anchorage, the strip will hang freely in a catenary curve between its two anchorage points and as expansion and contraction takes place, the curve will i change but the anchorage needs not to move and change in the curve will take care of change in the total length of the metal strip.

Referring now to Figures 1, 5 and 8, it will be noted that provision is made for longitudinal ex pansion and contraction in a direction parallel with the anchorages. On the left hand side of Figure 8, it will be noted that adjacent roof strips E E overlap. They are not fastened together An angle plate E flanged at each side is rigidly fastened preferably by welding each to one of the 5 plates E E so that the plates can move laterally, bending the angle member E On the right hand side, the plates are shown cut away leaving a gap E which is bridged by a curved member E flanged and welded to the plates. In either 10 case the gap or the sliding action makes it possible for the plates to expand and contract laterally without interference. This makes it possible to weld the opposed edges of the remaining plates together. The clearance slots or the clearance overlap, it will be noted as in Figure l, extend from the top more than half way down and from the bottom more than half way up so that there is no place in the structure where there are no expansion joints extending clear across the structure from top to bottom and staggered to avoid binding.

At the two ends of the roof, it is necessary to make a tight joint between the cylindrical walls of the silos or bins of the roof. This is done as indicated in Figures 2, 6 and '7, by placing between each two silos a roof structure F, which is rigidly mounted on the silos. For convenience, ventilators F are associated with each roof structure, there being one such structure between each pair of silos. These structures come out to a line generally tangent to the silos and are generally inclined from the top to bottom of the structure as indicated in Figure 2. These structures are located above the suspension roof and there is attached to the continuous structure thus formed a downwardly extending skirt or plate F having an inner ofiset skirt or plate F The roof itself is provided with an upwardly extending flange F which penetrates into the space between the 0 plates F F so that as the roof expands or contracts laterally the plate F may move toward or from the plates F and F and as the roof strip expands or contracts longitudinally the plate F may move further in or come further out in the 5 7. pocket between the plates F F thus providing weather tight closure between the ends of the roof and the structure.

In the modified form shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, instead of having a continuous roof, we have an inclined roof structure comprising columns G G supporting inclined roof trusses G a rigid structure G and intermediate rigid beams or structures G Roof strips G G (It hang freely between the members G G G G and are 55,2; riveted, welded o-r bolted to such structures. If desired, G5 G G may be separate, each being fastened to top and bottom to one of these structures or a continuous strip may be provided, fastenedhowever,intermediate its ends to these structures so that that part of the strip or that part of the structure hanging between the roof beams G G hangs freely under tension only so that as before the metal plate that forms the roof supports itself without stiffening and without any reini forcement as a suspension member.

In the diagrammatic form shown in Figure 14,

K indicates a vertical column, K are floor beams of a building. K is a continuous vertical sheathing strip extending from top to bottom of the building, attached, at a plurality of points as indicated at K to the columns. The plate is shown first in dotted lines as at K in its initial position having been hoisted up by the cable K travelling over the pulley K until it reaches its final position as shown in full lines so that the strip extends continuously from top to bottom of the building.

In the modified form shown in Figure 15, L L are columns, L L fioor beams. The metallic strip L extends clear across the building being attached to some or all of the beams L by the bolts L as indicated. The strip itself forms the floor supporting member and being in tension between the points of attachment to the fioor beams.

I claim:

1. A permanent roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members and a continuous roof forming sheet permanently anchored on and hanging freely between them and means associated with said fixed anchorage members and with said sheet member and joining them permanently together.

2. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members and a continuous metallic roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely between them, there being a plurality of expansion slots extending inwardly from the anchorage edges of the roof sheet.

3. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members and a continuous metallic roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely between them, there being a plurality of expansion slots extending inwardly from the anchorage edges of the roof sheet, the slots being greater in length than onehalf the width of the roof at the point where the slot is located.

4. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members and a continuous metallic roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely between them, there being a plurality of expansion slots extending inwardly from the anchorage edges of the roof sheet, a weather tight closure for each slot adapted to permit change in width of the slot without interference therefrom.

5. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members and a continuous metallic roof forming sheet anchoraged on and hanging freely between them, there being a plurality of lateral expansion slots extending inwardly from opposed anchorage edges of the roof sheet and terminating at a point beyond the middle of the sheet.

6. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely between them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another along their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet.

'7. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely between them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another along their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet, some of the strips overlapping in slidable relation to permit expansion and contraction of the roof sheet in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the metallic strips.

8. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely between them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another alon their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet, some of the strips overlapping in slidable relation to permit expansion and contraction of the roof sheet in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the metallic strips, and a weather tight closure covering such expansion areas adapted to permit relative movement of the sheets.

9. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely between them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another along their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet, some of the strips overlapping in slidable relation to permit expansion and contraction of the roof sheet in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the metallic strips, 15

the expansion areas extending inwardly from opposed anchorage edges of the roof sheet beyond the central line thereof.

10. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage mem- 20.

bers, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely between them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another along their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet, some of the strips being 25 roof sheet, some of the strips being reduced in 35 width to form clearance slots, a weather tight closure for said slots adapted to permit relative movement of the opposed edges thereof, said slots extending inwardly from opposed anchorage edges of the roof sheet a distance greater than 40 one-half the width of the roof.

12. A roof structure comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, a plurality of continuous metallic strips anchored at each end on and hanging freely be- 4 tween them, the strips being rigidly attached to one another along their adjacent edges to form a continuous roof sheet, some of the strips being reduced in width to form clearance slots, a weather tight closure for said slots adapted to permit rela- 50 tive movement of the opposed edges thereof, said slots extending inwardly from opposed anchorage edges of the roof sheet a distance greater than one-half the width of the roof, the slots extending inwardly from opposed anchorage edges being in 55 alternation.

13. A building comprising two longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, two opposed abutments joining them, a continuous metallic roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging 60 freely between the anchorage members, there being alternate expansion joints extending inwardly from opposed anchorage members, for a distance greater than one-half the width of the roof sheet, Weather tight closures for said 65 joints, a loosely interlocking weather tight closure between the edge of the roof sheet and the fixed abutment adjacent to it, there being sufficient clearance therein to permit longitudinal and transverse expansion and contraction of the roof 70 and the sheet.

14. A building comprising two longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, two opposed abutments joining them, a continuous roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely be- 75 tween the anchorage members, there being alternate expansion joints extending inwardly from opposed anchorage members, for a distance greater than one-half the width of the roof sheet, weather tight closures for said joints comprising a flexible cover permanently attached on each side to the roof sheet and overlying the expansion joint, a loosely interlocking weather tight closure between the edge of the roof sheet and the fixed abutment adjacent to it, there being sufiicient clearance therein to permit longitudinal and transverse expansion and contraction of the roof and the sheet.

15. A building comprising two longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, two opposed abutments joining them, a continuous roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely between the anchorage members, there being alternate expansion joints extending inwardly from opposed anchorage members for a distance greater than one-half the width of the roof sheet, weather tight closures for said joints, a loosely interlocking weather tight closure between the edge of the roof sheet and the fixed abutment adjacent to it, there being sufficient clearance therein to permit longitudinal and transverse expansion and contraction of the roof and the sheet, said weather tight closure comprising an upwardly extending flange and a downwardly open pocket into which it penetrates.

16. A building comprising two longitudinally extended fixed anchorage members, two opposed abutments joining them, a continuous roof forming sheet anchored on and hanging freely between the anchorage members, there being alternate expansion joints extending inwardly from opposed anchorage members, for a distance greater than one-half the width of the roof sheet, weather tight closures for said joints comprising a flexible cover permanently attached on each side to the roof sheet and overlying the expansion joint, a loosely interlocking weather tight closure between the edge of the roof sheet and the fixed abutment adjacent to it, there being suflicient clearance therein to permit longitudinal and transverse expansion and contraction of the roof and the sheet, said weather tight closure comprising an upwardly extending flange and a downwardly open pocket into which 'it penetrates.

17. A building structure comprising an abutment wall, a metallic reinforcing member associated therewith, a reinforced metallic sheet, perforations through the sheet and. through the reinforcement, perforations in the reinforcing member associated with the abutment and holding pins adapated to penetrate all said perforations and hold the reinforced sheet and the metallic reinforcement in fixed relation.

'18. A building structure comprising an abutment wall, a metallic reinforcing member associated therewith, a reinforced metallic sheet, perforations through the sheet and through the reinforcement, perforations in the reinforcing member associated with the abutment and holding pins adapted to penetrate all said perforations and hold the reinforced sheet and the metallic reinforcement in fixed relation, the abutment wall having a sheet engaging surface laterally extended adjacent the pins whereby the structural sheet rests upon and is supported by such surface at a point removed from the holding pins.

19. A permanent roof structure comprising a pair of spaced, longitudinally extending, fixed anchorage members, and a continuous, metallic roof-forming sheet permanently anchored on and hanging freely between them, and means associated with said fixed anchorage members and with said sheet member and joining them permanently together.

HENRY G. ONSTAD. 

